


Instant Messaging III

by TheSaddleman



Series: Instant Messaging [3]
Category: Doctor Who, Doctor Who & Related Fandoms, Doctor Who (2005)
Genre: Duty of Care, F/M, Foreshadowing, Friendship, Psychic Paper, Romance, hidden thoughts, spoilers series 8 and Last Christmas, whouffaldi
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-11-04
Updated: 2016-11-04
Packaged: 2018-08-29 01:04:35
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 877
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8469805
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TheSaddleman/pseuds/TheSaddleman
Summary: During a field trip with her students, Clara gets lonely and messages the Doctor using the psychic paper, leading to her broaching a serious subject.





	

**Author's Note:**

> The response to my first two Instant Messaging stories has been terrific. Here's the third in what has become a bit of a series. This time Clara starts the conversation and things get a bit more serious.
> 
> This story is set during Series 9. When will become evident in the story.

     _Doctor?_

…

     _Doctor? Are you there?_

…

     _Doctor Doctor Doctor Doctor-_

What? Yes? Hello? 

     _Were you sleeping?_

No, of course not. 

Yaaaaaaahnnnnnnnn. 

     _Then what was that?_

Clearing out my respiratory bypass. 

That’s all. 

That was not a yawn. 

What’s up? Are you in danger? 

     _Why do you always assume that?_

Assume what? 

     _That I need help?_

You don’t normally call me. 

Not with the psychic paper. 

That’s a first for you. 

Last time anyone did that … 

… River called me to the Library. 

Didn’t end well. 

     _I’m on a camping trip with the Year 7s._

     _There’s no mobile coverage here._

     _I use my superphone everyone will_

     _want it to check their e-mails_

     _or call their mums._

So you’re being sneaky. 

     _Lying by a campfire._

     _Pretending to snooze._

     _So yeah. Being sneaky._

Why are you being sneaky? 

     _Missing you._

Oh, no. Did I miss a Wednesday? 

I might have been distracted. 

     _Don’t panic._

     _It’s only Saturday._

     _Saw you last week._

     _I just miss you._

I miss you too. 

Just killing time the rest of the week. 

Sometimes literally. 

Sometimes figuratively. 

     _But you have a time machine._

     _Every day could be Wednesday._

Thought of that. 

But it gives me something … 

…to look forward to. 

Once experienced a decade… 

…of Christmases in a few hours. 

Helped two people find love. 

But Christmas became less special 

for a while. 

Am I making sense? 

     _Yes._

…

…

Clara? You still there? 

OK, Doctor. Don’t panic this time. 

…

CLARA? 

     _Sorry. Couple of kids got into a fight._

     _Had to go break it up._

     _Daleks are easier to deal with._

     _Has Missy regenerated?_

No. Why do you ask? 

     _One of my students is the Master._

     _I’m certain of it._

You are joking. 

Right? 

     _Maybe._

     _I’m tired of it._

Tired of what? 

     _Teaching._

     _Tired of spending all day_

     _herding cats._

     _Being careful what I say_

     _because I might offend someone._

     _Marking._

     _Going on field trips_

     _when I feel like death warmed up._

You aren’t feeling well? 

     _Just a bug. Don’t worry about it._

Are you sure? 

There is an outbreak of Chedavian flu 

in your time period. 

Makes your toes fall off. 

But only if you’re a Martian. 

So forget about the toes. 

     _I’m fine, Doctor._

     _My point is I don’t want to be here._

     _I want to be with you._

     _I want another adventure._

     _Standing with you. Like you said before._

     _Or curling up in the TARDIS library…_

     _…with yo—a book! A book._

We’ve spoken about this before. 

You don’t want to cut ties with Earth. 

It’s your home. 

     _It doesn’t feel like home anymore._

     _Not since Danny._

Don’t make me his replacement. 

No one can replace P.E. 

     _I’m not asking you to be._

     _But you’ve always been there for me._

     _And Danny told me to move on._

     _Remember?_

But that was just a dream. 

It wasn’t real. 

     _Wasn’t it?_

     _Doctor, Danny died_

     _but I still spoke to him._

     _Even though I said the wrong things._

     _I like to believe_

     _that Christmas dream was real too._

It’s as real as you want it to be. 

     _Danny knew I trusted you._

     _And you are always there for me._

     _OK, most of the time._

     _I forgave you for that moon thing long ago._

     _Danny would have wanted us_

     _to be … to be …_

...

     _Whatever. You know what I mean._

He wouldn’t have, Clara. 

I’ve made you a soldier. 

You’re addicted to adventure. 

You’re becoming too much like me. 

     _That’s not a bad thing._

Yes it is, Clara. 

You’ve met Captain Grumpy. 

You’ve seen me in my dark moods. 

You’ve seen the types of decisions I’ve made. 

I don’t want you becoming like me. 

I have a duty of care. 

     _There you go with that again._

I live every day fearing what might happen. 

What might happen to you. 

I’m scared. 

     _You? Scared?_

     _For me?_

I’d ask you to ignore that last one. 

Didn’t mean to transmit it. 

But to hell with it. 

Yes, I get scared. 

     _What if it’s my choice?_

     _We help people, Doctor._

     _Is that a bad addiction?_

All addictions end badly, Clara. 

     _Then why do we keep doing this?_

     _Why haven’t you left me in Aberdeen?_

     _Are you addicted to me, Doctor?_

     _Is that it?_

Let’s just say I’d never leave you in Aberdeen. 

Dunoon, maybe. 

     _Shut up!_

     _I’m laughing by the way._

     _Just quietly not to wake the kids._

     _You could give a girl egomania._

     _Er, again._

Clara, if you want to make the TARDIS your home 

I won’t stop you. 

     _But you’re worried._

     _Worried about it becoming less special._

     _What we do._

I’m more worried you’d get tired of me. 

Familiarity breeds contempt. 

And arguments over what TV shows to watch. 

     _Let’s talk about it more later._

OK. 

Do you want me to swoop in 

and rescue you? 

I can swoop with the best of them. 

     _I’d love that._

     _But I think the kids_

     _need their sleep._

     _Let’s talk about it Wednesday._

     _Any ideas where we’ll go?_

How about… 

The second most beautiful garden 

in all of time and space. 

     _What’s wrong with number 1?_

Too noisy. 

Too busy. 

Too many Starbucks. 

Not a place to … talk. 

     _OK, Doctor._

     _We can talk and make a decision then._

Wednesday it is, then? 

     _Wednesday._

     _I can’t wait._

     _Goodnight, Doctor._

     _Miss you._

Goodnight. 

My Clara. 

Miss you too. 


End file.
